Mizzou Releases Details Of NCAA Review Of Rule Violations That Occurred Under TU's Frank Haith

The University of Missouri has announced that during the 2013-14 men’s basketball season major rule violations occurred within the program under current Tulsa head coach Frank Haith.

In December of 2013, the NCAA enforcement group received information of suspected violations regarding a student-athlete. Since then, Mizzou has been working with the group to review the potential violations.

According to Mizzou, in agreeance with the NCAA, the following violations have been confirmed:

Level I - A donor (Representative #1) to MU Athletics provided impermissible benefits to three men's basketball student-athletes and one prospective men's basketball student-athlete from 2013-2014. The impermissible benefits included compensating student-athletes for work-not-performed at a business through a summer internship program. Through the internship program, the donor also provided other impermissible inducements and extra benefits including housing, cash in the amount of $520, local transportation, iPads, meals and arranged for the use of a local gym for the student-athletes, all in violation of NCAA bylaws.

Level II – A second donor (Representative #2) was discovered to have provided impermissible benefits to 11 student-athletes and three members of one student-athlete's family from 2011-2014. The benefits included providing student-athletes with a "friends & family" reduced rate at a hotel as well as meals and a ride on a recreational boat. A Missouri men's basketball student-manager also provided transportation for multiple student-athletes to the hotel from the Missouri campus, all in violation of NCAA bylaws.

Level II – Because the University of Missouri did not fully vet the summer internship employment opportunity and follow-up to request documentation at the conclusion of the 2013 and 2014 internships with Representative #1, the institution was cited with a failure to adequately monitor the internship program.

Level III – A former associate head men's basketball coach assisted in the relocation of a prospective student-athlete by providing the phone number of the prospect's mother to a donor (Representative #2) to arrange for rental housing. The family paid a market rate for the rental. However, the actions of the former associate head coach are in violation of NCAA bylaws.

Level III – Representative #1 had multiple impermissible recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete and paid for a meal for a non-scholastic coach, in violation of NCAA bylaws.

According to the program, the following actions will occur:

-Restitution and withholding from competition for impermissible benefits received by student-athletes were imposed as necessary.

-The former associate head men's basketball coach was prohibited from off-campus recruiting for a period of three months while the review process was underway.

-The university permanently disassociated Representative #1, prohibiting him from receiving tickets, making donations or otherwise representing the university.

-The university disassociated Representative #2 for a period of two years, prohibiting him from receiving tickets, making donations or otherwise representing the university.

-The university vacated all wins from the 2013-14 season.

-The university will pay the NCAA a fine in the prescribed amount of $5,000.

-The university self-imposed the loss of one men's basketball scholarship in 2015-16 and an additional scholarship loss to be incurred no later than the 2017-18 season.

-The university placed restrictions on the recruiting activities of the men's basketball staff during the years of 2014-15 through 2016-17.

-The university imposed a one-year postseason ban for the 2015-16 men's basketball season, which prohibits the team from participating in the 2016 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, and any other postseason competition sanctioned by the NCAA. As such, the university will not receive any revenues from the 2016 SEC or NCAA men's basketball tournaments.

The Tigers Athletic Director Mack Rhoades released the following statement regarding the incident:

"We have already taken many proactive steps to address concerns, including appropriate self-imposed sanctions. We will win at Mizzou and do so with integrity and class. I am satisfied the University fully cooperated with the NCAA and will continue to do so. We must do better and we will. Our working relationship with the current men's basketball staff is strong and I am confident in their commitment to upholding our standards and values for Mizzou Athletics."

Frank Haith, his attorney Scott Tompsett and Tulsa A.D. Derrick Gragg weighed in on the situation as well.

Haith:

“I appreciate the thoroughness of the NCAA during this process. I echo the sentiments of Missouri’s Kim Anderson in expressing disappointment that the actions of a few individuals have put the Tiger basketball program in this situation.”

Tompsett:

"I represent Frank Haith in the NCAA’s investigation of alleged violations in the Missouri men’s basketball program.

Coach Haith cooperated fully with the investigation conducted by the NCAA enforcement staff and we have been informed by the enforcement staff that Coach Haith will not be charged with any violations and, therefore, has been cleared of any wrongdoing. It has been Coach Haith’s position throughout this investigation that he acted appropriately at all times and that he monitored his program and promoted an atmosphere of compliance. The fact that the enforcement staff has not charged Coach Haith with any violations vindicates our position.

Coach Haith wishes the best to the University of Missouri, its men’s basketball program and his former student-athletes in getting through this difficult time."

Gragg:

“Today, I read the details of the NCAA investigation of the men’s basketball program at the University of Missouri, and Golden Hurricane head men’s basketball coach Frank Haith was not named in any of the reports. Coach Haith has cooperated fully with the NCAA during this process and has not been accused of any wrongdoing during his tenure at Missouri.”